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For the first time in nearly six years, Syracuse will play a game as the top-ranked team in the country. Following the Orange’s 11-9 win over then-No. 1 Maryland, they earned the top spot in the latest Inside Lacrosse Top 20 Poll.

SU’s next contest against Harvard is another challenge. Last season, the Orange knocked the Crimson out of the NCAA Tournament, pulling off a miraculous comeback to win 13-12 and advance to the quarterfinals. Harvard won’t have Sam King — its best player in 2025 — after he graduated, but it’s still a dangerous foe.

The Crimson easily dispatched Providence in their season opener before a dominant 17-8 win over a tricky Colgate team Tuesday. Prior to its NCAA Tournament defeat last season, Harvard did beat SU 15-14 in the regular season.

Here’s how our beat writers feel No. 1 Syracuse (3-0, Atlantic Coast) will fare against No. 14 Harvard (2-0, Ivy):

Zak Wolf (2-1)
No revenge this time
Syracuse 12, Harvard 10

The storylines for this game are endless, which makes for a fascinating affair. First, there’s Harvard attempting to exact revenge after SU miraculously came back to knock it out of last year’s NCAA Tournament. Then there’s the added pressure of Syracuse being No. 1 for the first time since 2020. To me, the most interesting aspect is SU playing outside in frigid temperatures.

What’s that saying? Oh yeah, it’s always 70 degrees and sunny in the JMA Wireless Dome. Saturday will be anything but. The forecast for Cambridge is 30 degrees with an 80% chance of snow. I don’t want to put too much stock into the weather since both teams have to deal with the same conditions. Though it’s hard to ignore when Syracuse plays in a dome.

Despite the weather, SU will win a tight game. The Orange are too good to have built-in excuses like the weather. If they want to prove they’re the definitive best team in the country, they’ll show it.

I expect another stellar showing from SU’s defense. Teddy Malone — who’s scored 10 goals in two games — will be a handful, but either Riley Figueiras or Billy Dwan III will be up to the task.

On offense, Joey Spallina will continue to be the star of the show. Even though he’s been more of a scorer this season with 11 goals, compared to seven assists, this will be one of those games Spallina is dishing out to everyone.

It won’t be an easy game by any stretch of the imagination, but Syracuse won’t give Harvard a chance for revenge.

Nicholas Alumkal (2-1)
Harvard misses the target
Syracuse 13, Harvard 9

After Syracuse exorcized its then-No. 1 Maryland demons Friday and consequently became the No. 1 team in the country for the first time since 2020, midfielder/attack Michael Leo said the Orange now had a target on their back. That target is elevated by the fact that Harvard’s 2025 season ended at the hands of a phenomenal late Orange run in the NCAA Tournament First Round.

However, Harvard will miss the target in its impassioned attempt to seek payback Saturday. SU is just too good — as they proved beating the Terrapins. Spallina has taken a larger scoring role and arguably possesses the most lethal shot in the sport, combined with his unparalleled IQ and vision. There’s a reason he’s the Tewaaraton frontrunner.

But Spallina alone didn’t power the Orange to their statement win last Friday. Wyatt Hottle has scored two goals in each of Syracuse’s games, where opponents had no answer to his speed. Plus, faceoff man John Mullen has delivered when needed — like winning seven straight draws against UMD to spur a five-goal Orange scoring run. He was borderline automatic in Syracuse’s two meetings with Harvard last year, winning 88.1% of his faceoffs.

Even if he can’t hit the same astronomical number, Mullen should still dominate the Crimson. His possessions will allow the Orange to win the duel and prevent Harvard from exacting revenge. That target on SU’s back will remain untouched for at least another week.

Mauricio Palmar (2-1)
Cry for the Crimson
Syracuse 16, Harvard 11

Or don’t cry — it’s not like I’m forcing you. If you’re an SU fan, odds are you’ll be rejoicing on Saturday, because at the end of the day, this matchup is really simple. No need to overcomplicate. Syracuse is better than it was last year, and Harvard is not.

These teams have faced off 20 times, and the Orange have won 19 of them. Outside of that aberration on Feb. 22, 2025, where SU blew a 5-0 advantage and suffered a 15-14 defeat, the Crimson have never been better than the Orange on their best day. Even in last season’s NCAA Tournament matchup, where Harvard got out to an 8-2 halftime lead, Syracuse ultimately snuck away with a 13-12 win.

The score will only look more lopsided Saturday. Yes, Malone — who ignited for four goals in that aforementioned loss — is back and better for his senior year, leading Harvard with 10 goals in its first two games this season. And yes, Jack Speidell — who led the Crimson with 46 goals in 2025 — is back alongside him in Harvard’s attack.

But as previously mentioned, King is gone. And no matter how improved Speidell and Malone are, they won’t outscore a Syracuse offense that has come out firing on all cylinders this season.

It’ll be a chilly day in Cambridge. But the sting of defeat might hurt Harvard even more than the frigid temperatures.

Published on February 18, 2026 at 10:41 pm